NBB:Revenge or Reunion
by hangman005
Summary: This is the third story in the series and part two of the three part plot. Alex has run away, and it's obvious that something is seriously bothering. Can they find out what it is before Alex gets worse... or does something stupid?
1. Realization

Alex had walked the streets for hours until he reached his uncles apartment. He nervously knocked on the door.

The door opened slowly, and his Uncle peered out.

"Betty?" He asked expectantly.

"What?" Alex asked a little uncomfortably, he had forgotten about Betty.

Uncle Miles looked down and saw his nephew.

"Alex!" He said in his gravely voice, as he flung the door open. He looked up and down the hall way. "Where's that no good brother of mine?"

"Don't know, don't care" Alex lied, the truth was he would miss his dad, but he couldn't put up with Nat any longer.

"You're here by yourself?" Uncle Miles said stunned.

"Can I live with you Uncle Miles?" Alex asked desperately.

Uncle Miles thought about it for about a minute.

"Why?" He finally asked.

"I don't want to live with Nat anymore" Alex said with anger in his voice.

"Brothers, you can't live with them. You can definitely live without them, Come on in" Uncle Miles said standing aside letting Alex in.

Wolff Apartment

Mr Wolff left Dr Blackman's apartment happy, she had shown him that there was life after Betty. Mr Wolff spirits dropped a notch when he realized he would have sort out his son's problems when he got home. He found the front door wide open and walked in. He felt immediately that something had gone wrong. He frantically search for either of his sons, Upstairs he noticed that one of his sons pictures was broken. He noticed that Alex's clothes were scattered over the room and one of his bags was missing. He ran down stairs just as Nat walked in.

"Nat have you seen Alex?" He asked worried.

Nat just nodded unable to say anything.

"Where?" Sonny pressed more urgently.

Nat opened his mouth a couple of times but nothing coming.

"Gone…" He finally choked out as he began crying.

Mr Wolff just stood there stunned.

"What do you mean 'gone'" he pressed on, now desperate.

Nat searched for some way to say it easier but failed.

"Ran… Away… To… Uncle… Miles's…" Nat managed to choke out between the sobs. 'It's all my fault' Nat thought to himself, as his fathers face crumpled in shock.

Nat woke up the next morning and got up out of bed.

"Come on Alex, time to get up" Nat said before turning to face the empty bed. It all hadn't just been a bad dream.

Nat sighed heavy heartedly, and picked up some of his clothes and went for a shower, he spent half an hour as though trying to drown away his problems.

Nat grabbed a muesli bar, after getting changed, and heading out the door. It felt so strange not to have Alex walking beside him, he wished he knew how to make things better.

"Hey Nat, how did things go?" Rosalina asked running up to Nat.

"Hey Rosie, don't ask," Nat said sighing heavily.

"Oy! Nat, where's Alex?" Juanita called skateboarding up to Nat and Rosalina.

Nat had dreaded this moment since the moment he woke.

"Gone, he ran away last night" Nat said slowly and quietly.

Juanita didn't say anything, she ran threw her thoughts, and grew angry with both Alex and Ryan, both as pigheaded as each other.

"Do you know where he went?" Rosalina said grabbing Nat's hand.

"Uncle Miles's," Nat said simply.

"Cooper!" Nat called seeing his friend and band manager.

"Hey Nat what are you up to?" Cooper said formally.

"Alex quit the band" Nat said bitterly.

"What? Why?" Cooper said stunned.

"He ran away as well." Nat said holding back the emotions.

"Why?" Cooper said stunned.

"It's a long story," Nat replied.

"It's my fault," Juanita said finally speaking.

"Juanita it is not your fault, you did nothing wrong" Rosalina reassured.

"But did I do anything right?" Juanita asked back.

Uncle Miles Apartment

Alex lay sleeping on the couch, blankets drooped over him. Alex was suddenly shaken awake and woke up in a blinding light.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty?" Uncle Miles said in his gravely voice.

"Why?" Alex moaned with his good arm up protecting his eyes from the sunlight.

"School" Uncle Miles said throwing a towel at Alex.

"I don't want to go to school" Alex protested.

"Not an option bossman" Uncle Miles said heading to the kitchen and getting a cup of coffee.

"Bastard" Alex swore under his breath as he got up, and grabbing some clothes from his bag made his way to the bathroom.

Alex looked in the mirror as he turned the shower on, he looked like he had seen better days. His right eye was black and swollen and he had a cut on the forehead above his left eye. His hair was matted with blood from a gash on his scalp. Alex took the sling of his arm and massaged his shoulder, it felt stiff and sore as he had dislocated it the day before.

Alex spent close to half an hour in the shower as he both cleaned himself and tried to procrastinate what was certain to come.

It was to quickly Alex found himself at school, arm in a sling, and getting strange looks from everyone.

Alex saw Juanita, Rosalina, Cooper and Nat, walking along the footpath and he quickly darted into the school.

Qaasim, Thomas and David walked up to Nat Rosalina, Cooper and Juanita.

"What happened to Alex?" David asked, having spotted Alex disappearing into the school.

"You saw him?" Nat asked incredulously.

"Yeah he's right… there…" Qaasim said point to where Alex had been standing, "well he was"

"I'm going to find him," Juanita said and started walking quickly towards the school.

"You think he will listen?" Rosalina asked sceptically, quickening her pace to keep up.

"I have to try don't I?" Juanita replied

Juanita and Rosalina ran into the school, and began searching the corridors.


	2. Cornering Alex

Alex looked up and saw Juanita and Rosalina walking down the corridor. He knew they were looking for him. Juanita suddenly saw Alex and looked into his eyes.

'This is a different Alex' she thought to herself as she saw the anger in his eyes.

Alex turned and ran ignoring Juanita's shouts which were soon joined by Rosalina's.

"Alex STOP! We need to talk!" Juanita shouted out as she began chasing after Alex

Alex kept on running, barging people out the way, he eventually found himself facing the front door and bolted for the door, he burst through it, and found himself out in the sun again, Unfortunately the band was waiting right outside.

"Alex!" Nat called out in shock at seeing his brother bursting out of the school.

Alex suddenly registered the band was there and changed his course trying to avoid them.

"Thomas, David, Qaasim, Grab him" Cooper ordered, trying to seize the opportunity.

Thomas, David and Qaasim joined chase, and we aided when Rosalina and Juanita burst out of the school as well. People stopped and began watching with interest.

Heavily outnumbered Alex quickly became cornered, Nat and Cooper joined in, boxing Alex in, against a wall to a building, he had no way out.

"Alex, we are going to talk, Me, you and Juanita" Nat said calmly, he sensed however that Alex would not respond in kind.

"What part of I never want to see you again did you not understand!" Alex said loudly, his stare full of utmost contempt.

"Alex! How about you listen to me" Nat said agitated.

"ONCE AGAIN ALL NAT WOLFF CARES ABOUT IS NAT WOLFF!" Alex yelled causing more passer's by to stop and stare.

"Alex, calm down and listen!" Rosalina said calmly, hoping to set and example.

"And no surprises to who Nat has on his side," Alex said hotly, "IS ANYONE GOING TO BE ON MY DAMN SIDE!?"

"ALEX SHUT UP! We are on your side" Juanita said trying to bring the situation under control.

"I don't listen to traitors!" Alex said sneering at her.

Juanita looked hurt. 'Why can't Alex just listen to what I have to say' she asked to herself.

"Alex, how about you listen?" Nat said hotly.

"How about you leave me alone to live my life… I already told you I don't want to be in your stupid band, and I don't want to be your brother." Alex said stubbornly.

"Alex, you can't leave the band" Cooper protested.

"Yeah? Well watch me" Alex said, and tried to push through, but was easily repelled.

"Couldn't even fight his way out of a cardboard box" Ryan said jeering from the crowd of onlookers. The crowd had grown quite large in a short amount of time.

Alex pulled the finger. "F*ck you, Ryan" He said as he tried to fight his way through to get at him.

"What's going on here?" Principal Schmoke asked having battled his way to the front.

"You and you, with me" he said pointing to Alex and Juanita, "You 6 go and see your principal."

Alex walked in an angry silence towards the principal's office.


	3. Deep Secrets

Juanita kept trying to talk to Alex, and became more and more frustrated as he refused to answer.

"ALEX! Why won't you talk to me" Juanita burst out causing principal Schmoke to turn around and look at them.

Alex looked as though he was going to say something but Principal Schmoke got there first.

"Alex have a seat out here… ladies first" Principal Schmoke said gesturing for Juanita to enter.

Alex sat outside for about half an hour, neither calming down or getting angrier as he waited. Finally Juanita left and he was called in. Alex entered the office without paying any attention to Juanita. He sat down and waited for the principal to start.

"Alex, what is going on?" Principal Schmoke finally asked.

"What's it to you?" Alex asked confrontationally.

"Alex what is bothering you?" Principal Schmoke asked.

"Nothing… and if anything was, it's none of your business." Alex replied hotly.

"Really… Juanita told me everything," Schmoke said diplomatically.

"Traitor…" Alex muttered angrily under his breath.

"What? Alex she is your friend…" Principal Schmoke said before being cut off.

"Yeah great friend she is… wonder how long it will take for her to move on to Nat." Alex said feuding.

"Alex have you ever thought of listening to what other…" Principal Schmoke said before being cut off again.

"What's the point… No one listens to me, No one cares about me… NAT BLAMES ME, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" Alex said getting angrier.

"What does he blame you for?" Principal Schmoke asked.

Alex looked even more pissed, he knew he had said too much. He had almost spilled the knowledge he had learnt just before the band went on tour.

_Alex prowled around the apartment, Nat and Mr Wolff were watching something on TV, and Alex was in a curious mood. Alex walked into his dads room and found a box that contained the families memento__'__s. Alex pulled out a photo album, and began looking through it. There were lots of pictures of his dad, Nat and some of his mother. Alex noticed how young they looked, but also how dad was still dad. Alex looked at the pictures of his mum, he didn__'__t really remember anything about her, and the photo__'__s of her seemed quite foreign, it was as though looking at a stranger, there was no memories, no stories that had any relevance to Alex, nothing to really give meaning to the woman in the photo. Alex turned the page and saw the pictures of him and his mum just after he was born. There was a few, but Alex found the next few pages blank. On the last page of the album, he saw an official looking piece of paper. He read it, and hated what it told him, he pulled it out, and flicked back a few pages grabbing one of the only photos of him and his mum and took them back to his room. He hid them were no one would look and sat down on the bed and let everything he had just read sink in._

"Screw you, I'm out of here!" Alex said loudly and forcefully and stood up and headed for the door.

"Alex, sit down! We are going to talk." Principal Schmoke said trying to put some authority into his tone.

"We Were Talking And Now I Am Leaving!" Alex said, his anger at everything giving him determination.

"You walk out of this office and I will suspend you Alex" Principal Schmoke said getting quite angry.

"I DON"T CARE!" Alex yelled, charging out of the office, brushing roughly passed Juanita who was still out there.

Before anyone could react Alex was out in the corridors, and to give a distraction to his get away, pulled the fire alarm before bursting outside. Alex kept running for a couple of blocks and only stopped after almost being run down by a fire engine on its way to the school.


	4. Alex Isn't Living At Home

Sonny arrived on his brothers doorstep about 9:20, he needed to find away to get his youngest son home.

Miles opened the door, and saw his brother.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm here about Alex" Sonny said nervously, he always felt belittled by his brother.

"I don't know what you've done to that boy" Uncle Miles said cynically.

Sonny's eyes flashed with annoyance.

"Are you going to let me in?" Sonny said impatiently.

Miles glared at his brother as he opened the door. He kept on staring as his brother shuffled passed.

"So what do you want me to do?" Miles asked darkly.

"Tell him to come home…" Sonny pleaded, also noticing Betty was nowhere to be seen.

"I ain't telling that boy nothing, he was looking pretty beat up last night" Miles said with an accusing stare.

"Don't pin this on me, Alex gets into his own fights" Sonny said, looking at his brother with dislike.

"Well whatever it is the kids pissed," Miles said looking to examine his fingers.

"Everyone gets mad once in a while" Sonny said agitated.

"Not this mad" Miles pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Sonny asked a little taken aback.

"You don't notice much do you?" Miles said raising an eyebrow.

"Yes I do!" Sonny said defensively.

"Right…" Miles said sarcastically.

"Just get on with it" Sonny said getting more annoyed.

"Something's been eating away at that boy… something big" Miles explained.

"What?" Sonny said expectantly.

"I don't know, you're supposed to be the father" Miles said irritated.

Sonny looked at him darkly.

**Amigos High School**

Nat, Qaasim, Thomas, David, Rosalina and Cooper trudged up to their principal's office. Mrs Schnamp was usually easy to get along with.

"You six, in my office now!" She said nostrils flaring.

The band silently walked into her office. They weren't actually sure why they were there.

"Do you think it is appropriate to be picking on a 5th grader?" She asked, glaring at them as she sat down behind her desk.

"What!? That's not what we were doing!" Rosalina said surprised at how it was interpreted.

"Why? What would you call it? You surrounded the kid and used force to keep him there," She said sternly looking over her glasses.

"We were talking" Nat said trying to explain.

"Talking or intimidating, you chased him through the Middle School for crying out loud… and you want me to believe you were just talking." Mrs Schnamp said annoyance rife in her tone.

"Ms, it was Nat's little brother Alex. We were trying to explain something to him," Qaasim explained.

"I'm well aware who it was, and it does not change whether it was right or wrong. You can do these things at home… but do not do it as school" Mrs Schnamp said angrily.

"Uh, Alex isn't living at home… he ran away last night" Cooper informed.

Mrs Schnamp looked a bit troubled and sat silently trying to work out what to say.

"Awkward…" Thomas said quietly.

At that moment the bells started ringing and did not stop.

"We'll finish this later!" Mrs Schnamp shouted over the bell as she ushered them out of her office and the school.

Nat looked around and saw everyone filing out of both schools. He looked along the road to his left. He saw a figure running away almost getting hit by one of the fire engines racing it's way to the school.

Alex began walking the rest of the way to Uncle Miles apartment. He hoped the Principal Schmoke did suspend him so he could avoid Juanita and the band easier. Alex turned the corner and was almost bowled over by a police officer.

"Shouldn't you be at school young man?" The police officer asked, looking down at him.

"Shouldn't you be eating doughnuts…oh wait you are" Alex asked angrily, seeing the doughnut in his hand.

"Listen Here You!" The cop said irritated, 'when did youth become so disrespectful?' he thought to himself.

"NO!" Alex yelled darting around the cop.

The police officer reached out to grab Alex, and received a kick in the shins for his effort. He gasped in pain, but still turned around and gave chase.

"Oy! Stop!" he ordered panting as he chased Alex.

Alex ignored him and kept on running. He sensed the police officer falling behind, but he kept on running. Up ahead Alex saw a police car coming in his direction with sirens on. Alex knew he had to reach his uncles apartment before the cops saw where he went, and with this determination he began sprinting, made all the more uncomfortable due to his arm being in a sling.

Alex looked back and saw the other police officer a long way back, he quickly disappeared into his uncles apartment building, he didn't know if anyone had seen him, but he wasn't taking any chances he ran up to his uncles apartment and opened the door. He saw his dad and Uncle Miles sitting on the couch talking.

"Alex!" Sonny said awkwardly, but still surprised.

"You're supposed to be at school" Miles said irritated.

Alex thought about going back outside, but he heard voices he did not want to hear.

"He went up here," one voice said.

Alex quickly shut the door, and ignoring both his dad and his uncle went and hid.

Miles and Sonny just raid an eyebrow, if that wasn't odd then what was?

They were both about to get up and find out what was going on, when there was a knock on the door.


	5. The Blame Game

Miles got up and went and opened the door slightly. It was the Police.

"Excuse me sir, but have you seen a kid running through here?" one of them asked.

"Do I look like I can see through wall?" Miles asked convincingly.

"No, sir, we just thought…" The other officer began.

"You thought wrong." Miles said keeping up the act.

"Sorry, but if you do see one, give us a yell" the 2nd officer said.

"Will do" Miles said and shut the door.

"What are you doing?" Sonny whispered as Mile walked back from the door.

"Protecting my nephew" Miles said gruffly.

"By lying to the police…" Sonny pointed out, trying to out do hi do good brother.

"I think it is best for everyone that we don't hand Alex over… especially Alex" Miles explained, annoyed at his brothers slowness, "Now where is he?"

"Miles and Sonny found him at the bottom of the linen cupboard, looking both angry and scared.

"Get out of there!" Miles ordered lightly.

Alex just sat there not moving. Miles waited a few more seconds before he grabbed one of Alex's legs and pulling him out of the cupboard. With his unslung arm Alex reached out and grabbed the doorframe.

"Let Go Alex!" Miles ordered more forcefully.

"NO!" Alex yelled getting more aggressive as fear filled him.

Sonny walked over and prised his fingers of the door frame and helping pull him away from the cupboard.

"TRAITOR!" Alex yelled at his dad.

"Be quiet, or you'll bring the police back" Mile hissed.

Alex looked as though he was going to scream but managed to not let a sound out.

"You have some explaining… will you answer that?" Miles said as Sonny's cell phone started to ring.

Amigos High School

Qaasim, Rosalina, Thomas, David, Cooper and Nat all stood around as the fire engines pulled up and the fire fighters headed into the school. Juanita fought her way over to them.

"Did you see where Alex went?" she asked.

"Nope" They all said a bit disheartened.

"What is up with him?" David asked after an awkward silence.

"He's just being Alex" Thomas answered, "Right Nat?"

"I don't know, if that is Alex he' changed" Nat replied trying to think of some reason why Alex went of the rails.

"He thinks you are blaming for something" Juanita said, remembering what she had heard as she pressed her ear to the office door.

"Like what?" Nat asked, "If it's for drinking all the milk.."

"He stopped himself before he said, but it sounds like something big," Juanita said helplessly.

"Sounds like he's scared" Qaasim said thoughtfully.

"Did you see him before… that's not scared that's angry," Thomas argued.

"You need to read my book of love," Qaasim tried again.

"What's love got to do with this?" David asked.

"Its emotions," Qaasim said exasperated, "Alex thinks that Nat blames him for something, and is scared that if anyone else finds out they will blame him as well. He is using anger to stop people from breaking him I guess."

"Sounds a bit farfetched," Rosalina finally answered.

"No it doesn't" Juanita said, "It could explain a lot, especially if we knew what that something is"

"Alex hasn't killed anyone has he?" Thomas asked.

"That is the stupidest question I have ever heard" Nat said snapping.

_Alex was still siting on his bed, when Nat came in._

"_Alex, what have you done?__"__ Nat asked referring to light, Alex had broken before he got curious._

_Alex was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice what Nat was talking about._

"_Don__'__t blame me!__"__ Alex said defensively._

"_Why you__'__re the one that did it!__"__ Nat said angrily._

"_It__'__s not my fault!__"__ Alex said getting as angry as Nat._

"_Well whose is it?! __"__Nat said close to yelling, __"__I wasn__'__t there and dad wasn__'__t there, so it must be your fault, you were the only one!__"_

"_You Can__'__t Prove It So You Can__'__t Blame Me!__"__ Alex said getting angrier to stop himself crying at his brothers unfair accusations._

"_Alex I Know It Was You!__"__ Nat shouted and stormed out of the rooming slamming the door behind him._

Alex sat on Miles's Couch, his dad and Miles spoke for a bit before his dad left.

"What is going on Alex?" Miles asked staring at him.

"What's it to you?" Alex asked aggressively.

Miles mouth twitched slightly.

"If you want to stay here until things calm down, you can at least do me the courtesy of giving me some answers." Miles said forcefully.

Alex thought about it for second, he knew he had to tell him something.

"I'm not telling you everything" He finally replied just as aggressively as before.

"Just like his brother…" Miles muttered under his breath.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Alex yelled, "I'M NOT LIKE NAT."

Miles just sighed, and shot and icy stare at Alex.

"Do you know who was on the phone?" Miles asked.

"God" Alex said aggressively sarcastic.

Miles flashed him an even more dangerous look at Alex.

"Cut the attitude Alex, I'm trying to help." Miles said.

"That'd be a first" Alex muttered bitterly.

"What do you mean by that?" Miles asked cautiously.

"What's your motive? No one every helps me unless it makes them look good," Alex said just shy of shouting.

"What gave you that ridiculous idea, nothing my brother does could make him look good" Miles responded.

Alex shot a look of annoyance at his uncle, he remembered why he hated him now, but he knew he needed somewhere to stay.

"Nat! He only helps me, when it looks good for him!" Alex said loudly.

"Use your inside voice!" Miles said, hoping for a conversation where everything wasn't yelled.

"I DON'T HAVE AN INSIDE VOICE" Alex yelled, giving miles the opposite of what he was after.

"I'm seeing that" Miles said quietly, "So how do you get such a ridiculous view of your brother?"

"It wouldn't make Nat look good if he had a santa hater as a brother, WOULD IT? It wouldn't make him look good if he had a sodaholic brother, WOULD IT? In fact it doesn't make him look good to have… me as a brother, DOES IT?" Alex said angrily, he had almost let his secret slip.

"So you think that's worth throwing everything away do you?" Miles said aggressively.

"YES! It stops him using me!" Alex shouted.

"You've already been suspended, from what I've heard you've spent most of the first two weeks at school in detention and you're on your way to getting arrested, you want that?" Miles asked almost matching Alex now.

"IT'S WHERE I SHOULD BE!" Alex shouted without thinking.

"Why do you think that?" Miles said repulsed by the idea.

Alex looked even angrier and refused to speak another word.


	6. Happy, Alex?

Nat and the band were sitting around Wolff apartment, Thomas had refused to speak to Nat, he felt that it was a valid question as was getting annoyed at Nat taking everything out on them. David was feeling the same, he was not having any fun with the band anymore, and hadn't since really before they came back from tour.

"We need to find a new drummer," Cooper said cautiously, he felt a strain in the band, though he would never have guessed that Alex would be the first to quit.

"Not this Cooper, this just isn't fun anymore" Thomas said.

"Your quitting the band, when we need you most?" Nat said getting annoyed.

"The band… not you" David replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nat asked.

"It hasn't been fun since New Orleans, someone's always snapping at someone else, and you and Alex need to get your shit sorted" Thomas said.

"What are you saying?" Rosalina asked, putting her hands over Nats.

"We want to break up the band!" David said as gently as he could.

"So what, we just cut our losses and run… we split" Nat asked aggressively.

"I want us to be friends and support each other… so we end now, on our terms instead of when none of us a speaking to each other, We come out with something…" Qaasim said seeing the logic in it.

"What about the future?" Rosalina asked.

"We'll think about that when it comes… right now, I think we need to put our friendship first… and our family" Thomas said looking at Nat with that last bit, "We will still help you with that Nat,"

Miles was watching TV, having given up after hours of getting nothing out of Alex, who was no just sitting there with his thoughts.

'_MTV interrupts this programme for breaking news__'_ A male voice said halfway through Bevis and Butthead.

'_The Naked Brothers Band have shocked the music world, when band manager Cooper Pillot issued a Press Statement 15 minutes ago, announcing the band is breaking up. The band have admitted embattled drummer Alex Wolff, quit the band yesterday, and was partly responsible for the bands decision to break up. A source has told MTV News that conflict between the brothers was a major issue and there are reports of an incident this morning. The band have stated that they wanted to end on their terms and still be friends, but have said nothing about the future. We have so far been unable to contact anyone, but once we do, you__'__ll be the first to know. This is MTV News, I__'__m Trudy Bailey. _

'Happy Alex?" Miles asked off hand.

Alex just stared at him and said nothing, secretly he was glad… it was about time something bad happened to his brother. Alex smiled, he realized the band would have to deal with the press, 'Another plus for suspension' he thought to himself.


	7. Something Stupid

It was two weeks after the band split up and although most of the press had left things alone Matt Pinfield had been putting the blame entirely on Alex, and as Alex walked down the road, the stares people were giving him lead him to believe that they thought it was true. Alex stopped outside an appliance store and indifferently began to watch what was on the TV in the window. They were showing a clip of things Matt Pinfield had said just after the band broke up.

"_It__'__s happened again, Alex Wolff has managed to piss of the entire world when he quit the Naked Brothers Band yesterday. This guy is not a problem, he__'__s the cause of them. If he__'__s not causing one problem he__'__s causing another_. _It would be easy to blame Nat, but why when it is Alex__'__s fault, so join the anti Alex bandwagon and if you see him in the street, throw a tomato at him… he deserves it.__"_

Alex bit his bottom lip and turned to walk away.

"You think your such a big man. But dad clipped your wings" Ryan said as he threw a tomato to himself. "You know I guess I should do what dad says"

Ryan threw the tomato but Alex ducked and it hit the window behind him. Alex then dug in low and charged at Ryan, hitting him in the chest, dislocating his shoulder and bouncing off him in the process. Ryan was winded for a few seconds and in that time Alex was up hitting him with his good arm.

"Leave my son alone!" Matt Pinfield said loudly, appearing from around a corner. He was oblivious that it was Ryan who started the fight.

Matt Pinfield reached out to grab Alex.

WHAM!

Matt Pinfield got blindsided by another stranger entering the fray.

"Pick on someone your own size" The stranger said in a familiar accent.

Matt Pinfield threw a punch hitting the stranger square in the face.

Both pairs kept fighting for around 5 more minutes. Alex vaguely registered the sound of sirens before he was pulled away by the police. It wasn't until they were separated that Alex saw the damage he had done to Ryan. A couple of black eyes and a broken nose, Alex felt pleased with the effort. He then looked over and saw the police shouting and trying to break up Matt Pinfield and the mystery man. He counted 3 police cars there already, and the fight didn't break up until another 3 turned up. Matt Pinfield has blood coming from his mouth, his nose and a cut over his left eye. The stranger who Alex vaguely recognized looked worse, with two black eyes, a broken nose, blood coming through his hair, and a cut by his right ear, and his left hand looked quite limp. With the fight now under control the police put them in the back of separate police cars, and began talking to members of the crowd that had formed to watch. Paramedics arrived and began treating their injuries and it wasn't long after that they were taken away.

Wolff Apartment

The band, although they were not anymore, were at the Wolff's apartment, the TV was on in the background, as the unsuccessfully tried to find out what Alex was scared of everyone else finding out. It was half past eight and the band conceded defeat for another day.

"Tomorrow, I've got a good feeling about Tomorrow," Qaasim said trying to lift everyone's spirits.

"You said that yesterday, and the day before" Cooper complained.

"Hey Nat, Juanita, you need to see this" Thomas said staring at the TV.

"If it's…" Nat began.

"Just watch," Thomas insisted.

"_NYPD have announced they have arrested former Naked Brothers Band drummer Alex Wolff_…"

Nat and Juanita gasped in shock.

"… _after a fight involving a number of people in Manhattan early this afternoon. MTV'__s Matt Pinfield and his son Ryan were also and arrested and released on bail. A fourth person involved has not yet been charged and is still in police custody. It is believed that the fourth person is New Zealander Sam Hannagan, protected by diplomatic immunity under the Youth Ambassador programme…__"_

Nat sat down on the couch and almost ripped his hair out in frustration. Nat hadn't seen Alex in two weeks and it still he was making things worse.

**Uncle Miles Apartment**

Miles had watched the same piece of news. He was annoyed at himself for not having an eye on Alex at all times. Miles could not fathom what was feeding Alex's anger, most kids would forget after a couple of hours, but Alex had just been getting more and more angry. He had been getting worse since he had turned up and now was unnervingly quiet and withdrawn, and now he was in Jail.

**Local Police Station**

Sonny, Nat and Miles arrived at the police station about the same time. Sonny gave miles a look that caused him some discomfort.

"I thought you were protecting him" Sonny said annoyed.

Miles looked as though he was going to argue back and Nat sensed this.

"Can we not do this now!?" Nat asked loudly, his tensions were running high.

They both looked at Nat and nodded their heads, before walking inside and approaching an officer.

"We are here to see Alex Wolff" Nat said nervously.

The officer bit his lip nervously, this was the part of the job he hated… families.

"We need to talk first" he said showing them through to a meeting room.

"Right… Uh… I don't know how to say this, but Mr Wolff has insisted they he get no visitors… period" He said as they sat down around the table.

Nat couldn't say he wasn't surprised. He felt Alex was getting more and more irrational with each passing day. He knew the fear that was driving Alex was eating him, and if he didn't find what it was soon it would kill Alex.

"Visitors! Aren't you going to release him!?" Miles asked angrily.

"Not Likely, the law thinks society could do with a break from Alex Wolff" The officer said cautiously.

"But you released, Matt Pinfield and his Son," Nat protested.

"But neither of them had assaulted their arresting officer on a previous occasion" The officer replied rubbing his shin. "Jail will do him good."

"WHAT?!" Miles and Sonny yelled together, jumping to their feet.

"I don't make the law, I just enforce it" the officer said annoyed.

"How long?" Miles asked through gritted teeth.

"A month, 3 if he's lucky, more if he's not." The office said shrugging his shoulders.

"So no trial then?" Nat said annoyed.

"Don't blame me, I didn't streamline the system." The officer said in his defence.

Nat, Miles and Sonny mulled it over for a five minutes.

"I know he doesn't want you too, but I can let you see him if you like?" The officer offered as a compromise.

"Please" Miles and Sonny said quickly.

"I don't think I should" Nat said, he stood up and left the room, he needed to speak to someone else.


	8. Forming A Plan

**Alex's Cell**

Miles and Sonny were let in. They saw Alex and noticed how he looked as beaten up as he did the night he ran away.

"Where's Nat?" Alex asked aggressively.

Miles and Sonny shrugged trying to work out how to say it.

"SEE! I TOLD YOU! IT DOESN'T MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD TO HAVE ME AS A BROTHER!" Alex yelled causing a guard to come have a look until he was waved away.

"Alex your brother is not in here because you don't make him feel welcome" Miles said, he dislike older brothers.

"CAUSE HE DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL WELCOME!" Alex yelled again, agitating the guards more.

**Interrogation Room**

Nat walked down the corridor until he came to an Interrogation Room with the name he was looking for written on the board by the door. An officer stood guard outside.

"Can I talk to the guy in here?" Nat asked awkwardly.

"No" the guard said simply.

"Why not? I really need to talk with him" Nat insisted.

"Maybe once they have struck a deal," The officer said unmoving.

"I can help, I think I've got a win, win, win offer." Nat insisted further.

"Why should I believe you?" The officer asked.

"I'm Nat Wolff" Nat said simply.

The officer shrugged and let Nat in. There were 5 people in the room, 3 on one side of the table all in suits, and two on the other, the one he was looking for, was looking quite beat up.

"What are you doing in here?" one of the men in the suits asked.

"I have a solution… I just need to speak to…" Nat said gesturing to Sam.

"We don't have…" another suit started before being cut off.

"I want to hear this" Sam said rasing his left arm which was bandaged and splinted.

Nat walked over whispered urgently to Sam.

"I need you to help Alex" he whispered urgently, "They are going to send him to Juivie for a month or so, and I need someone to keep him in line"

Sam thought about it and he new negotiations were going badly.

"I think they want to expel me from the programme and send me back to New Zealand. Unless you can convince them that expelling me would be a bad thing, I'm about as much use as a peanut." Sam whispered back.

Nat thought about what he needed to say.

"What are you planning on doing?" Nat asked.

The Prosecutors on the other side of the table shifted uncomfortably, they weren't used to being talked to like that from a 12 year old.

"Expel and deport" one of them said indifferently.

Nat looked at Sam who just smiled weakly.

"I don't think it's a good idea" Nat said.

"Why not?" the guy asked wearily.

"Well… Uh… First of nobody wins" Nat said uncomfortably.

"Yeah we do… we get rid of a troublemaker" one of the prosecutors said smartly.

Nat seemed to lose his line of thought.

"At what cost? In case you haven't noticed the young people of the city and elsewhere have been on edge the last couple of weeks" Sam replied.

"Your saying you can get the Naked Brothers Band back together?" the same suit replied sceptically.

"Not directly, no. But I can stop things getting worse" Sam said honestly.

"What are you talking about?" the guy asked, making a mental note that this New Zealand was a nut.

"Well, I know Nat's brother Alex, is up the hall. And I know that you are going to lock him up…" Sam explained.

"How do you know that?" one of the men asked suspiciously.

"I know everything" Sam said arrogantly, "Anyway, Alex will get locked up, and he will learn from those he is locked up with and after he is released he will end up right back here."

"He is going away, you are not changing that," the same man replied.

"Well put him away with Alex" Nat said urgently.

Sam was shocked to here it so simply, but he had known that it would most likely come down to this, and nodded weakly.

"Lovely gesture and all, but we can't. The State Department gave him immunity as part of the programme." Another prosecutor said.

"I need you in there… To keep Alex in check… and to find what Alex is hiding" Nat whispered to Sam urgently, he knew this guy was the best option in the short term.

If Sam hadn't noted Nat's urgency before he did now.

"I'll waive it, in this case" Sam said taking a deep breath 'what am I getting myself into?' he thought to himself.

"For what? You sound like the loser in this deal. We look good because, we get to take you and Alex Wolff down, your friend gets an inside man, you get nothing" one of the men said incredulously.

"I learnt from my mum… sometimes it's not about me" Sam said trying to smile, but it looked as though he had a tooth ache.

"Indeed… well if that is your choice…" the prosecutor said, 'this guy is weird' he thought to himself.

"Then we are done" Sam said looking reassuringly at Nat.

"_One month, that is the sentence handed down to Alex Wolff, former drummer for the Naked Brothers Band. The sentence was also handed down to New Zealander Sam Hannagan, who surprised many people when he waived protection rights last night. Both were sentenced under the new streamlined Youth Justice System and will serve out their sentences at Staunton Juvenile Detention Centre.__"_


	9. Zachary’s Disease

Alex was taken out of his cell and into the corridor. He had changed into an orange jumpsuit his arm again in a sling. He waited moodily for him to be taken to the centre. Alex looked annoyed when he saw Sam being escorted out of his cell, a white cast now on his left arm.

"What are you doing!" Alex mouth angrily at seeing Sam in orange overalls aswell. Sam tried to smile, but he had a temporary case of lockjaw and said nothing as he and Alex were taken out to a waiting paddy wagon. After they were put in side and belted up the guards shut the door and hopped upfront. Looks like they were the only passengers.

"Why are you always around and why are you here now?" Alex asked annoyed.

"Coincidence for most part" Sam said shrugging, "But I'm in here to help"

Alex looked sceptical.

"Why?! How does this make you look good!?" Alex asked hotly.

"Yeah because getting beaten up and going to jail really makes me look good" Sam said sarcastically.

"You're here because you want to be here!" Alex said aggressively as the van started up.

"I'm here because I need to be here… or you need me to be…" Sam said raising an eyebrow, not that it was noticeable through the black eyes.

"I DON'T NEED ANYONE!" Alex shouted furiously.

"Right, and I'm Mary Queen of Scots" Sam said sarcastically. He knew this approach would break him… or cause Alex to hate him for the rest of his life.

Juvenile Detention Centre

The press gathered around the outside hoping the catch a glimpse and a photo of Alex as he was brought in. They were sorely disappointed when the windowless van arrived and disappeared through the centre gates stoping in a garage, limiting the chance of a prisoner escaping and the press getting their photo.

The Van door open and a burly looking guard stood there.

"Welcome Convicts…" he began before being cut off.

"I resent that term," Sam said stirring up the guard.

"I'm sure you do… Deal with it!" The guard said with malice, "Your just like every other scumbag here."

"What, they think you escaped from the zoo too?" Sam replied, hoping this high risk approach would pay off. "Alex disagrees, he thinks it was the freak show"

Alex kicked Sam in the back of the leg. 'What is this idiot doing?' he thought to himself.

"Wow! You are just as dumb as everyone else who calls this place home" the guard said sinisterly.

"You want to marry me! Alex thought you loved him…" Sam said antagonising the guard.

"SHUT UP YOU JERK!" Alex yelled, grabbing Sam and hitting him several times in the head.

A horn blared and four guards came down and separated them, each looking mildly amused.

"I think you two just set a record. I don't think any one has been withdrawn from the main population, this quickly" The guard said with a smirk. "How does 2 weeks alone with only each others company sound?"

"I think I'm going to wet myself" Sam said dryly, getting an angry glare from Alex.

"Make it three!" the guard announced.

"Do you have Zachary's Disease?" Sam asked throwing the guard of balance.

"What!?" he asked taken aback.

"You know Zachary's Disease…" Sam pushed.

The guard just gave him a blank stare.

"Where you face looks ex-Zachary like your ass?" Sam asked concealing a grin.

Alex struggled to suppress a snigger, this idiot really knew how to annoy people.

"I certainly hope you two didn't want to meet anyone while here, We'll see what's left of you in 4 weeks" the guard said and motioned for them to be taken away. They were taken to a cell well away from the rest of the prison population. After being roughly shoved through the door, it was now just the two of them.

"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" Alex yelled rounding on Sam.

"You'll thank me on day." Sam said sitting on one of the two beds.

"You're an asshole!" Alex said angrily.

"Some one has to be… might as well be me" Sam said indifferently examining the bed.

"I'm going to make your life a living hell!" Alex said almost frothing at the mouth.

Sam just laid down and the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Good luck with that." He said shutting his eyes and trying to sleep.

Alex took off one of his shoes and threw it and Sam, hitting him in the head.

"Could you cut that out, it's getting old," Sam said annoyed.

"YOU WANT ME TO CUT IT OUT?" Alex yelled annoyed. "IT WAS YOU THAT GOT ME STUCK IN HERE WITH YOU!"

Sam sighed heavily.

"Would you rather be in here or out there?" Sam asked.

"OUT THERE!" Alex shouted pointing in any which direction.

Sam squeezed the bridge of his nose, it was going to be along 4 weeks.


	10. Breaking Through

**Wolff Apartment**

It had been two weeks since Alex and Sam had been sent to jail, and Nat felt like they had gotten no closer to finding out what Alex was scared of anyone else finding out.

"It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Thomas complained in frustration.

"With what we have to narrow it down, more like a needle in a needlestack." Qaasim moaned.

A lot of people were angry that the band appeared to do nothing when Alex was sent to Juvie and had taken it out on the band. The taunts alone were bad enough, but some had taken it too far and were throwing trash at them. It was not helped by Matt Pinfield's reports which only made things more tense. Things were getting out of hand, and there were concerns of mass fighting between Alex's supporters and the bands, many actually forgetting the band had officially broken up, almost a month previously. Juanita hadn't fared much better and Nat could tell that only his and her hearts were still in it.

"Do you guys just want to do your own thing for a while?" Juanita asked irritated.

"Junaita's right, you guys should go out and have fund, were getting nowhere here," Nat said, he was hoping Sam was having better luck.

Juvenile Detention Centre

Sam lay on his bed singing quietly to himself to keep sane. He had no one to talk to for 2 weeks because he had annoyed Alex so much in the first day that he refused to say anything to him.

"Why are you here!?" Alex asked aggressively, on the 3rd day of the third week of their sentence. Alex was no longer able to stand ignoring the only person he was in contact with.

"I'm here, because I'm here" Sam said shrugging his shoulders, if he had of known earlier that it would have been this boring he would never have agreed.

"BE SERIOUS!" Alex yelled, seizing his first opportunity in weeks to vent his anger.

"What do you want to hear?!" Sam said loudly

"EVERYTHING!" Alex yelled glaring at Sam who was lying on his bed as though merely bored.

Sam sat up and swung his legs of the bed.

"You want to know why I joined the fight?! Why I'm in here instead of being free?!" Sam said hotly, the tension of the boredom finally being given and outlet.

"HOW STUPID ARE YOU!" Alex yelled" YES! I SAID EVERTHING!"

Sam looked as though he wanted to hit Alex, but managed to restrain himself.

"I saw you, that kid and that Matt Pinfield guy all going at it! 2 against 1 wasn't a fair fight, so I evened the odds." Sam said aggressively.

"I WAS DOING ALRIGHT BY MYSELF!" Alex yelled angry at the reason for his interference.

"YEAH! YOU WERE DOING SO WELL!" Sam yelled back sarcastically.

They both glared at each other, and if looks could kill both might as well have lain down and died right there.

"YOU GOT YOUR ASS KICKED TOO!" Alex yelled back, after a very tense silence.

"AND YOU THINK I DID THIS TO LOOK GOOD!" Sam shouted matching Alex yell for yell.

"TELL ME WHY THEN!" Alex yelled looking doubtful for an answer.

"YOUR BROTHER!..." Sam yelled back.

"Nat screwed you over too?" Alex asked loudly a bit off foot.

Sam had been wondering if Nat had screwed him over, it wasn't quite the holiday he had expected but Sam kept that thought private.

"NO! He come to see me after we were arrested!" Sam said vocally not backing down.

Alex looked a bit hurt and like he was going to start yelling again.

"Listen!" Sam ordered, "He knew, somehow he knew you were going away, and he asked me to…"

"MAKE MY LIFE HELL?" Alex asked fuming.

"NO! If I was here to do that, you would be with everyone else. If your brother wanted me to do that… I WOULD NOT BE HERE" Sam said frustrated.

"Yeah, like you had a choice!" Alex sneered.

Sam looked equally as angry with Alex, as Alex did with him.

"I DID!" Sam hissed venomously, "I'm in this country through a programme, and by being in that programme I get protection from the law… Protection I did not use!"

Alex looked far from convinced.

"Right…! You want me to believe that you chose to come to a hellhole like this!" Alex said sceptically.

"Yes I do!" Sam said forcefully.

"If that's the truth, you're an Idiot!" Alex jeered.

"Yeah, I probably am. I can't even get what Nat wants me to get." Sam said admitting defeat.

"What's that!" Alex said getting defensive.

"He wants me to find out what you think he blames you for" Sam said staring at Alex.

"He knows," Alex said quietly.

"Maybe he blames you for more than you think, how is he supposed to know which one you mean?" Sam said cautiously.

"How dumb is he?" Alex complained loudly to himself.

"Why don't you tell me?" Sam asked sensing the ice was pretty thin.

"NO! I'M NOT THAT DUMB!" Alex yelled getting more defensive. "I'm not going to tell you! I have to put up with you for another two weeks"

"How about a hint!" Sam said getting agitated.

"NO!" Alex yelled instantly.

"One for Nat! Not Me!" Sam said loudly.

Alex mulled it over for five minutes, getting angrier just at the thought of it.

"I'm only telling you this because your as much of an Idiot as Nat is" Alex said through gritted teeth.

Sam just nodded, and bit back the retort forming in his mouth.

"Tell your good buddy Nat, what he's too stupid to know is where he doesn't expect anything to be" Alex said his face contorting with every word.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked, annoyed at what seemed like such a useless piece of information.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WANTING? A F***ING MAP!" Alex yelled furiously as he laid down on his bed with a look of utmost hatred plastered on his face.


	11. Deep Secrets Reveal Part 1

**Wolff Apartment**

Nat and Juanita lounged around the apartment exhausted, they had turned up nothing, and in less than 2 weeks, Alex would be out. Cooper, David, Thomas, Qaasim and surprisingly Rosalina were not there, they were out having fun, or studying having fallen behind trying to help Nat.

The phone rang and Nat wasn't in a hurry to answer it. The press had hardly left them alone for weeks.

"Hello?" Nat said dully as he picked up the phone.

"Hey is this Nat?" The person on the other end asked.

Nat recognised the accent.

"Yeah, How are things going?" Nat asked not letting his hopes rise.

"Boring, but I don't have time for that?" Sam said urgently. "It took a lot of yelling, shouting, silence and coaxing, but I have something maybe you can make more sense of"

"What did he say?" Nat asked, his voice filled with apprehension.

"Whatever it is, there is something hidden where you don't expect to find anything" Sam replied.

"What the hell does that mean!?" Nat asked annoyed.

"If I knew, I'd tell you" Sam said helplessly.

"Ok… Thanks… Is there any chance you'll be getting out early?" Nat asked.

"Not likely… Not the way I've done things" Sam admitted.

"Why? What did you do?" Nat said, nervous of the answer.

"Times up you Aussie prick!" Nat heard someone say through the phone.

"I'll explain later" Sam said.

"I'm going to give you 10 seconds to take that back" Sam said as he put down the phone.

Nat smirked, he could understand why now.

"Juanita, do you know where Alex would hide something, where you don't expect to find anything?" Nat asked passing some of the burden over.

Juanita thought about for a few minutes, one thing kept coming to mind. 'It can't be that obvious can it?' she thought to herself.

"His maths homework book keeps coming to mind" Juanita said finally.

Nat shrugged, he wasn't sure.

"We'll there's nothing to lose by looking" He said finally helping Juanita off the sofa. Nat and Juanita both went up to his room and began searching through Alex's stuff until they found his maths homework book. It looked like it had never been opened.

"Alex really hates maths, doesn't he?" Juanita said smirking.

"Hate is an understatement!" Nat said concentrating on the book, hoping it would just scream the answer at him.

He slowly opened the book and two pages fell out of it, landing face down on the floor. Nat reached down and picked up the smaller of the two, and turned it over. It was a picture, of his mum holding who Nat assumed was Alex when he was a baby. Nat looked at it for about thirty seconds before gently placing it on the desk. He reached down and picked up the other piece of paper. It was an official looking document that Nat had never seen before. He read it slowly and his jaw dropped.

"He Doesn't!?" Nat said shocked.

Juanita read it over Nat's shoulder, and she looked just as shocked as him.

"He Doesn't!?" Juanita said, now understanding Alex's fear.


End file.
